I don’t feel another blog post coming on right now, so I will make a list of items from my month that rise to the surface for me:

1.While running along the coast a few weeks ago, I listened to a podcast by the vulnerability researcher Brene Brown. She said when people invite her to speak at events, they often make stipulations about what she is allowed to say. While she goes along with some of these, there are two she never accepts: rules against swearing and praying. In her opinion swearing and praying are two of the top indicators of honesty. Fair enough.

2. One sunny afternoon I took the girls to the beach and we parked behind a Mazda convertible. My 6-year-old pointed at it and said, “Look, Dad, a car without a lid.” I am especially fascinated by her choice of words given what I’ve been reading and thinking about lately: the constant evolution of language, as well as whether our unique and precious ability to use language will withstand the recent increase of AI.

3. We travelled to the US for a family reunion of my parents and siblings at Lake Koronis campsite in Paynesville, MN. With all the grandkids, we now number 46. Everybody attended.

4. Not too surprisingly, we siblings have diverged in belief and practice. This can create interesting dynamics when we meet but as far as I know, everyone stayed civil and avoided anything too controversial. For some occasions that’s probably the best option.

5. One highlight for me happened when I saw my mother walking beside my oldest daughter, Olivia. On the spur of the moment, I caught up to them and walked between them, holding my mom’s hand on one side and Olivia’s on the other. As we walked, Mom told me she kept the 4-generation photo taken just before the passing of David Wagler, her father and my grandfather. We have a copy as well and treasure it.

6. Maybe quiet physical presence and touch is a more effective way to bring about family healing than talking.

7. Because we were in the Minneapolis area, we attended Woodland Hills Church both Sundays. On the second Sunday, Greg Boyd preached a sermon on hell (of all subjects). Near the end, he mentions the 3 ways Christians have understood hell, including a Final Universal Restoration, the view that given enough time everyone and everything will turn to God. While Greg was open to this view, he also believes the further we go down a path of self-destruction (love of money or reputation, hypocrisy, unforgiveness, or any other sin Jesus spoke against), the harder it is to return.